Photographic apparatus

ABSTRACT

Photographic apparatus for use with a film unit of the selfdeveloping type including a chamber for locating a film unit in position for exposure and a pair of rollers mounted adjacent a leading edge of a film unit located in the exposure position. The rollers are adapted to define a longitudinally extending gap which defines an acute angle with the leading edge of the film unit located in the exposure position. Structure is provided for canting the film unit as it is advanced from the exposure position, subsequent to exposure, toward the rollers such that the leading edge of the exposed film unit is parallel with the longitudinally extending gap as the film unit enters the gap.

United States Patent 9] Gold 14 Aug. 13, 1974 PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUSPrimary Examiner-Fred L. Braun 75 Inventor: Nicholas Gold, Arlington,Mass. Age, firm-Alfred Comga [73] Assigneez llzgzsagold Corporation,Cambridge, 57] ABSTRACT Photographic apparatus for use with a film unitof the [22] July 1973 self-developing type including a chamber forlocating [21] Appl. No.: 375,500 a film unit in position for exposureand a pair of rollers mounted adjacent a leading edge of a film unitlocated in the exposure position. The rollers are adapted [52] US. Cl.354/86 to define a longitudinally extending gap which defines Int. Clanacute n 1 the leadin ed 6 of the unit 58 Field of Search 95/13 89 R 89 A89L g g g located in the exposure position. Structure 15 provided 6 R ffor canting the film unit as it is advanced from the ex- [5 1 e erencesposure position, subsequent to exposure, toward the UNITEDSTATES PATENTSrollers such that the leading edge of the exposed film 3,416,427 12/1968Murphy 95/13 X unit is parallel with the longitudinally extending gap as3,673,938 7/1972 Michatek et al 95/13 the film unit enters the gap.3,739,701 6/1973 Erlichman 95/13 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEM:13 m4 MUZBFZ FIG. 3

. 1 PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of theInvention This invention relates to photographic apparatus of theselfdeveloping type.

2. Description of the Prior Art Photographic apparatus of theself-developing type are well known in the art and generally includefilmadvancing apparatus for advancing an exposed film unit out of itsexposure position and into engagement with a pair of pressure-applyingmembers, e.g., rollers. The film unit usually includes a pod, orcontainer, of processing composition, e.g., liquid, having a sealed,rearwardly facing discharge end which is parallel with and adjacent to aleading end of the film unit. The rollers are adapted to engage theleading end of the film unit and the pod to generate sufficient pressurewithin the processing composition to rupture the seal and spread thecontents thereof across a photosensitive layer of the exposed film unitto initiate formation of a visible image within the film unit while thefilm unit is being advanced to a viewing station.

Generally, the film unit is located in position for exposure with itsleading edge parallel with the axes of the rollers, and thefilm-advancing structure is constructed such that it does not changethis parallelism while advancing the film unit into a bite defined bythe rollers thereby maximizing the area of the photosensitive layer tobe covered by the layer of processing composition. However, maintainingthis parallelism during movement of the film unit into the bite of therollers restricts the designers choice and/or arrangement of thefilmadvancing structure, e.g., the film-advancing structure may berestricted to one which applies a symmetrical force to the film unitduring advancement into the bite of the rollers. Therefore, there is aneed for a camera of the self-developing type wherein a film unit may becanted as it is moved out of its exposure position without adverselyaffecting the spread of the processing composition across thephotosensitive layer of the film unit as it passes through a pair ofpressure-applying members.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant invention relates to photographicapparatus of the self-developing type and, more particularly, topressure-applying means for spreading a processing composition across anexposed photosensitive layer of a film unit. The pressure-applying meansare especially adapted for use with a camera of the type havingfilmadvancing meanswhich apply a force to an exposed film unit along aline which tends to cant or skew the film unit as it is moved out of itsexposure position and into engagement with the pressure-applying means.Ordinarily, orienting the film unit in a skewed manner prior to itsentry between the pressure-applying means will increase the possibilitythat the contents of the pod of processing composition located adjacentto the leading edge of the exposed film unit will not be spread over theentire area of the film units photosensitive area, thereby resulting ina portion of the photographed scene not being processed into a visibleimage. For example, if the exposed film unit were canted or skewed as itenters the bite of the pressure-applying means, the

processing composition contained within the pod would not only be spreadfrom the leading edge of the film unit towards its trailing edge, butalso would have a tendency to move laterally toward one side of the filmunit because of the angle between the bite of the pressure-applyingmeans and the discharge end of the pod. Movement of the processingcomposition toward the one side of the film unit and away from the otherside of the film unit during front to rear (leading edge to trailingedge) spreading may result in a spread which does not cover the rearcorner of the other side of the film unit. However, this problem issubstantially obviated by mounting the pressure-applying means with itsbite or longitudinally extending gap forming an acute angle with theleading edge of the film unit located within the camera in position forexposure. The aforementioned angle would be the same number of degreesas the film unit is canted during its movement out of the exposureposition, thereby locating the leading edge of the film unit in parallelwith the bite of the pressureapplying means as the film unit moves intoengagement therewith. This parallelism is maintained during movement ofthe exposed film unit between the pressureapplying means therebymaximizing the area of the photosensitive layer covered by the layer ofprocessing composition.

An object of the invention is to provide photographic apparatus forprocessing a film unit of the selfdeveloping type wherein a leading edgeof the film unit is aligned, subsequent to exposure, in parallel with alongitudinally extending gap defined by a pair of pressure-applyingmembers.

Another object of the invention is to provide photographic apparatus ofthe self-developing type wherein a film unit may be canted afterexposure and prior to passage between a pair of pressure-applyingmembers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a fuller understanding of thenature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, of photographicapparatus embodying the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of an exposed film unit about to moveinto engagement with pressureapplying means; and I FIG. 3 is adiagrammatic plan view of a film unit which has been canted subsequentto exposure and prior to moving into engagement with pressureapplyingmeans.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Reference is now made to FIG. 1 ofthe drawings wherein is shown photographic apparatus in the form of acamera 10 of the self-developing type. Camera 10 includes an exposurechamber 12 defined by housing sections 14, 16, 18 and 20 and anexpansible bellows 22 (only one side being shown). Housing section14includes a lens and shutter assembly 24, a photocell 26, an exposureinitiating button 28, a focus wheel 30 and a lighten-darken wheel 32.Mounted on top of housing section 16 is a collapsible viewfinder 34.Housing sections l4, l6, l8 and 20 are pivotally coupled for movementbetween an extended operative position, as shown in FIG. 1, and acompact folded position, as is .more fully described in US. Pat. No.3,678,831.

Exposure chamber 12 is adapted to receive a film cassette 36 having anexposure aperture 38 in a forward wall 40, a resilient member 42extending part way across an elongated opening 44 located in a leadingend wall 46 to prevent the passage of more than one film unit at a timetherethrough, and an elongated opening 48 in wall 40 which extends tothe rear (to the left as viewed in FIG. 1) of the cassette and part waydown a trailing end wall of the cassette. Positioned within the cassette36are a plurality of film units 50 (only one being shown) which may beof the type shown in US. Pat. No. 3,415,644. Each film unit 50 includesa leading end 52 having a container or pod 54 of processing composition,preferably liquid, attached thereto, superposed image-receiving andphotosensitive layers positioned in alignment with opening 38 and atrailing end 56. Pod 54 includes a rearwardly facing discharge end58-which is parallel with leading end 52. Exposure clfamber 12 alsoincludes means in the form of a plate 58" having an opening 60 thereinfor locating the cassette such that the film unit located closest to theforward 'wall 40 may be located in position for exposure.

Camera further includes a motor 62 which preferably is powered by abattery located within cassette 36, pressure-applying means, e.g., apair of rollers 64 and 66, film-advancing means 68 and gearing 70operatively coupled to motor 62 and to roller 64 via a gear 72 attachedthereto. Gearing 70 is also adapted to drive film-advancing means 68.Specifically, film-advancing means 68 includes a generally planar member74 having elongated slots 76 therein whereby it is attached to suitablecamera structure (not shown) by pins 77 for reciprocal motion; acantilevered arm 78 having a film engaging end 80 which is adapted toextend into opening 48 to engage the trailing end 56 of the film unit 50located in position for exposure prior to moving it out of cassette 36via opening 44; and a flange82. Gearing 70 includes a gear 84 having aninwardly extending pin 86 located on one of its faces. During operationof the camera, gear 84 is rotated in a clockwise manner to move pin 86into engagement with flange 82 to move the film-advancing means 68 tothe right (as viewed in FIG. 1) thereby moving film unit 50 out of itsexposure position and into engagement with rollers 64 and 66.Preferably, roller64 is provided with a pair of flanges 65 and 67 whichare adapted to engage the ends of roller 66 to space the main body ofroller 64 away from roller 66 to form a longitudinally extending gap 69(from left to right). For a more detailed description of gearing 70 andits driving relationship to filmadvancing means 68, reference is made toUS. Pat. No. 3,709,122 granted to Blinow et al., on Jan. 9, 1973.

OPERATION 'After the photographer has focused the scene throughviewfinger 34, button 28 is depressed to initiate an exposure cycle.Subsequent to exposure of film unit 50, motor 62 is energized to driverollers 64 and 66 through gearing and gear 72, and to drive thefilm-advancing means 68, as described above. Actuation of thefilm-advancing means 68 moves film engaging end into contact with thetrailing end 56 of the film unit 50 to move it out of its exposureposition and into the bite of the rotating rollers 64 and 66 via opening44 in cassette 36. It should be noted that the film engaging end 80engages the film unit on one side of its longitudinal axis, indicated as90 in FIG. 2. Engaging and moving the film unit in this manner usuallyresults in the film unit being canted as it is being moved out ofcassette 36 and into the bite of the rollers. Canting of the film unitis possible because usually its width is slightly less than the width ofthe interior of cassette 36. As mentioned above, should this canting orskewing of the film unit take place in a conventional camera wherein theaxes of the rollers are parallel with the leading end 52 of the filmunit before it is moved out of its exposure position, a spread patternsimilar to that diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 2 by lines 92, 94,96, 98, 100, 102 and 104 may be produced. These lines representprogressive stages of the advancing edge of the processing compositionduring spreading of the composition. For example, where pod 54 iscomprised of three compartments, as shown in FIG. 2, initial rupturingof the pod 54 by rollers 64 and 66 presents an advancing wave front asshown at 92. As the film unit continues its movement through the rollers64 and- 66, the major portion of the wave front progressively flattensout while the left side, as viewed in FIG. 2, of the wave trails behind,as shown from 98 through 104. However, as mentioned above, theprocessing composition is not only spread from the leading end of thefilm unit to its trailing end 56, but also from the left side of thefilm unit to the right side, i.e., there is a lateral movement of theprocessing composition toward the right side of the film unit. Thislateral movement of the processing composition may be caused by alateral force component created as a result of the acute angle between aline containing the discharge end 58 of the pod 54, which isperpendicular to the longitudinal axis 90, and a plane containing thelongitudinal axes of the rollers 64 and 66. Since the rollers areadapted to define a longitudinally extending gap 69 (from left to rightas viewed in FIGS. 1-3) when a film unit is located therebetween andsince the discharge end 58 is parallel with the leading end 52 of filmunit 50, it is also true that the last-mentioned acute angle is alsodefined by the longitudinally extending gap 69 and the leading end 52 ofthe film unit 50. Lateral movement of the processing composition to theright may result in the left side of the wave receding relative to theremainder of the wave front until you reach a condition as shown at 104where substantially the entire photosensitive area of the film unit hasbeen covered by the processing composition except for area 106. In otherwords, it appears that the amount of processing composition originallyprovided in pod 54 for covering the left side of the film unit isgradually reduced by the left-to-right lateral movement of theprocessing composition, thereby resulting in the processing compositionon the left side of the film unit being depleted before the corner area106 of the photosensitive layer of the film unit has been covered by theprocessing composition. Obviously, this type of a spread will notproduce a visible image in area 106 The present invention substantiallyobviates this problem by mounting the rollers 64 and 66 such that aplane containing their axes would define an acute angle with the leadingend 52 of the film unit 50 when the film unit is located in position forexposure, as shown in solid lines in FIG. 3. The number of degrees ofthe acute angle is selected to be the same as the number of degrees thatthe film unit 50 is canted by the filmadvancing apparatus as it is movedout of its exposure position, e.g., one or two degrees, thereby insuringthat the leading end 52 of the film unit, as shown in broken lines inFIG. 3, is parallel with the axes of rollers 64 and 66 as it enters thebite of the rollers. This parallelism is maintained by resilient means(not shown) urging the rollers 64 and 66 toward each other and intoengagement with opposite sides of the film unit, whereby maximumcoverage of the film units photosensitive area by the processingcomposition is obtained.

Since certain changes may be made in the above apparatus withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention herein involved, it isintended that all matter contained in the above description or shown inthe accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and notin a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

' l. Photographic apparatus for use with'a film unit having leading andtrailing edges separated by a substantially rectangular viewing areacomprising:

means for locating the film unit in position for exposure;

a pair of rollers adapted to define a longitudinally extending gapthrough which the film unit is adapted to be advanced, subsequent toexposure, to spread a processing composition across a photosensitivelayer of the film unit;

means for mounting said rollers with said longitudi nally extending gapand the leading edge of the film unit in said exposure position definingan acute angle therebetween; and

means for canting the film unit as it is advanced from said exposureposition toward said rollers such that the leading edge of the film unitis parallel with said longitudinally extending gap as the film unitmoves into said gap whereby the processing composition is spread over anarea coextensive with the viewing area.

2. Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 1 further including meansfor mounting said canting means in position to engage the film unit bythe trailing edge and move it out of said exposure position and intoengagement with said rollers.

3. Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 2 further including drivemeans operatively coupled to one of said rollers and said canting meanswhereby said one roller is rotating when said canting means moves thefilm unit into engagement with said one roller.

1. Photographic apparatus for use with a film unit having leading andtraIling edges separated by a substantially rectangular viewing areacomprising: means for locating the film unit in position for exposure; apair of rollers adapted to define a longitudinally extending gap throughwhich the film unit is adapted to be advanced, subsequent to exposure,to spread a processing composition across a photosensitive layer of thefilm unit; means for mounting said rollers with said longitudinallyextending gap and the leading edge of the film unit in said exposureposition defining an acute angle therebetween; and means for canting thefilm unit as it is advanced from said exposure position toward saidrollers such that the leading edge of the film unit is parallel withsaid longitudinally extending gap as the film unit moves into said gapwhereby the processing composition is spread over an area coextensivewith the viewing area.
 2. Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 1further including means for mounting said canting means in position toengage the film unit by the trailing edge and move it out of saidexposure position and into engagement with said rollers.
 3. Photographicapparatus as defined in claim 2 further including drive meansoperatively coupled to one of said rollers and said canting meanswhereby said one roller is rotating when said canting means moves thefilm unit into engagement with said one roller.